PSY100- Lifespan Development

G. Stanley Hall

psychologist that established the 1st institute dedicated to child development research

Gerontology

the study of aging

Physical development

growth

changes in physical body, brain, senses, motor skills

health and wellness

cognitive development

change in thought, intelligence,and language

ex. learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, creativity

psychosocial development

emotions, personality, social relationships

develomental milestones

behaviors and biological changes that develop during the life stages

crawling, speaking sentences, and puberty are examples

developmental psych begins at _____(a)________ and ends at ____(b)_____

(a) conception

(b) death

continuous development

development is a continuous process that involves gradually improving existing skills

ex. child growing a few inches per year

dicontinuous development

development that occurs suddenly in phases during a specific age or time

ex. infant developing the concept of object permanence

Nature vs. Nurture

nature: biology and genetics influence development

nuture: environment and culture influence development

Freud’s psychosexual theory

Children’s personality will develop during early childhood in 5 discontinuous stages and shape adult behavior. Each stage is defined by erogenous zones.

psychosocial development theory

childhood development is based on the interactions with others. These interactions shape our ego identity (sense of self) and there are 8 stagesfrom  infancy to late adulthood

Chronological age

number of years you’ve been alive

developmental age

chronological age where most show a certain level of physical or mental development

cross-sectional study design

compares individuals at different ages during the same time

ex. 3 year old group vs. 5 year old group

longitudinal study design

following individuals over a certain period of time

ex. following one person for years at a time

attrition

dropping out of study and not coming back for a second session for a variety of reasons

between subject design

splitting a group into two groups and thy look at two different IVs

cross sectional study

within subject design

one entire group is exposed to all levels of the IV

longitudinal study

Prenatal period

conception to birth

3 stages include:

zygote (2 weeks), embryo (2 months), fetus (last 6-7 mos.)

Preterm infant

baby born prior to the 38 week mark

organization hormones

1st trimester

sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) exposure to organize what we look like and our brains structure

teratogens

any agent that causes a birth defect

ex. alcohol leading to FAS, thalidomide leading to kids being born without limbs

infancy

from birth to 18-24 mos.

babbling, symbolic thought, some social learning (mimicry), discovery of sensory motor system

early childhood

end of infancy to 5-6 years old

start prepping for school, start making friends, 

middle childhood

6-11 years old

mastering school skills, more exposure to culture, self control development, sense of achievement develops

adolescence

11-18 years old

seek independence and identity, spend less time with family, logical/abstract thinking

“puberty” > going from kids to having sexual maturity

menarche begins (1st period)

activational hormones

second hormone bath that causes physical changes in adolescence, develop secondary sex characteristics (less permenant)

secondary sex characteristic examples

booby growth

body hair

growth spurts

facial hair

body shape ratio

voice changes

early adulthood

18-30 years old

economic independence, wanting relationships and intimacy

middle adulthood

30-60 years old

expand personal and social development

try to maintain career satisfaction or work your way up

start helping next gen

late adulthood

60 years old- death

retirement age

reflection on life

less mobility

Jean Piaget

Swiss developmental psychologist that studied his own kids to figure out how kids learn new information

came up with “assimilation” and “accomodation”

Assimilation

cognitive strategy where new info is fit into what is already known

ex. kid seeing a camel and calling it a “horse”

Accomodation

modifying information to accomodate it with what you already know

Piaget Stage 1

“Sensorimotor Stage”

1-2 years old

where child learns sensory and motor skills

having representations with absent objects

Piaget Stage 2

“preoperational stage”

2-7 years old

development of symbolic function

problems with egocentrism 

animism > thinking inanimate objects are alive

centration > seeing permanence of attributes despite changing them (coin example)

Piaget Stage 3

“concrete operations”

7-11 years old

learning of conservations

decentration

Piaget Stage 4

“formal operations”

11 and on

flexibility and abstraction

mental hypothesis testing (asking more questions)

object permanence

something exists even thought you cannot see it

theory of mind

inferencing how others think, feel, and behave based on your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

Crayon Study

infants develop theory of mind at ~3 years old

1-2 year olds get a box of crayons and inside is not crayons. they are asked what the next child would feel and they can’t do that

Erik Erikson Psychosocial Stage 1

trust v. mistrust

birth to 1 year old

based on how your parents treat you

Erik Erikson Stage 2

1-3 years old

autonomy v, shame and doubt

Erik Erikson Stage 3

3-6 years old

initiative v guilt

Erik Erikson Stage 4

6-12 years old

industry v. inferiority

Erik Erikson Stage 5

adolescence

identity v. role confusion

Erik Erikson Stage 6

young adulthood

isolation v intimacy

Erik Erikson Stage 7

middle adulthood

generativity v. stagnation

Erik Erikson Stage 8

late adulthood

ego integrity v despair